Closure retaining spring



Dec. 1, 1942,

G. A. LYON CLOSURE RETAINING SPRING Originql Filed Jql y 29, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Dec. 1, 1942 UNITED STATES 1 rar cries Original application July 29, 1937, Serial No. 156,279. Divided and this application October 25, 1937, Serial-No. 170,782

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a closure member fastening means, and more particularly to aclosure retaining spring fordetachably securing a closure member to another member having an aperture therein to be closed which permits the closure member to'be mounted with very little effort but which requires a relatively great-force to disengage it from the other member.

The subject'matter of my present invention has been divided from my 'copending application Serial No. 156,279, file-d July 29, 1937.

In designing elements and mechanisms for detachably retaining a closure member on another member over an opening or a recess in-the latter, it has been found that under many circumstances it is desirable to provide a closure retaining --means which effects an engagement between the two members with very little efiort and through the application of a relatively slight force but which requires considerable effort and a relatively great force to disengage the member. The reason for desiring a closure retaining means capable of carrying outitssecuring function-in the above manner is that where a closure member is only designed to be removed from another member at infrequent interval and where the members are subjected to vibration, stresses'and strains, or sudden shock, it'is desirable that a fastening or securing means be provided which cannot become accidentally losened or disengaged but which can when necessarybe disengaged to effect removal of the closure member.

It is an object'of this-inventionto provide a novel attaching means for'detachably securing a closure member to another member and which 1 possesses the above highly desirablecharacteristics.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel closure member retaining'means for detachably securing a closure member to another member, which is economical to manufacture and which is rugged and reliable in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel method and means of securing a closure member to another member which requiresonly a relatively small force to secure the closure members to the other member but which requires a relatively great force to remove the closure member from the other member.

Another and further object of this invention is to provide a novel form of easy-on hard-off attaching means for detachably securing one member to another member.

Another and still further object of this invenn an,

tion is to provide a novel closure retaining spring to panying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closure retaining spring constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partly in cross section of a closuremember mounted on another member by means of the spring elements of Figure Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the assembly of Figure 2; and v Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the upper part of the assembly shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 1 ofthe drawings, one embodiment of my invention is illustrated which comprises a spring clipelement it having a base portion-l i, a relatively long laterally extending flexible intermediate leg portion i2, and a reverse bent portion E3. The closure retaining spring or element It is preferably formed from apiece of resilient spring steel leaf stock, although it may be formed from a wide variety of other materials having resilient or flexible properties.

The reverse'bent portion 13 includes two upwardly extending wingsor side portions M which are shaped with gradually rearwardly sloping edges 15 and steeply sloping forward edges 16. It has been found that a sprin shaped in this particular manner possesses all of the above highly desirable characteristics.

In Figures 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings I have illustrated one'manner in which the closure retaining element of Figure 1 may be employed to retain a closure member on another member. More specifically, member i! is shown having an opening l8 therein which is arranged to becovered or closed by a closure member 29. The exact shape and configuration of the member-ll and the closure member I!) is not of the essence of the present invention and hence may vary through wide limits Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

To detachably secure the closure member 19 to the member [1 by an easy-on hard-off detachable engagement, a plurality of spring elements H] of the type shown in Figure 1 are provided. The base portions ll of the spring element are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the rear surface of the closure member [9. The intermediate leg portions l2 project rearwardly from the underside of the closure member l9 and are of suflicient length when the closure member I9 is in its desired mounted position that the rear ends of leg portions l2 extend through the opening l8 of member l1. As will readily be understood by an inspection of the various figures of the drawings, the closure member I9 is held in position over the opening I8 of member I! by virtue of the engagement of the steep forward portions it of the wings M of the spring element [0.

The manner in which the spring element in efiects an easy-on hard-off detachable engagement with the member I! will now be described. As will be understood best by referring to Figure 2, the spring elements H] are cammed under the opening defining edge 20 of the member I! as the closure member I!) is moved from left to right as viewed in Figure 2. This is by reason of the fact that the gradually sloping rear edges 15 freely ride under the opening defining edge 20 due to the flexing of the spring element l9 throughout its free body portion. As the highest points of the edges [5 pass beyond the rear edge of the opening defining edge 20, the spring element snaps radially outwardly causing the steep forward edges I6 of the spring elements ID to engage the edge of the opening l8. Due to the fact that the rearwardly extending leg portions I2 of the spring elements in are relatively long, it will readily be understood that the spring elements [0 are very easily flexed in the manner above described.

In order to remove the closure member H! from the member ll, it will be observed that instead of having a gradually sloping edge which will cam the spring element l0 under the opening defining edge 20, relatively steep sloping edges [6 are resisting the removal of the closure member l9. As force is applied to the closure member l9 tending to move it from right to left as viewed in Figure 2, the reversely bent portions l3 of the spring element I0 will tend to increase the angle which they make with the intermediate leg portion l2. The efiect of this is to tend to cause a flexing of the spring elements H) at the junction point of the base portions H with the leg portions I2 and also at the junction point of the leg portions I2 and the reversely bent portions [3. The result of this flexing of the spring element I0 appears to be to decrease the steepness of the slope of the forward edges I6. Upon the application of sufficient force from right to left on the closure member IS, the spring elements I 0 will snap out of engagement with the opening defining edge of the member l1.

Although the mechanical action of the spring element 10 in disengaging itself from the member I! is somewhat involved and not readily definable by a single word, I prefer to designate this type of a closure retaining spring as a lift spring, due to the lifting or spreading tendency of the reversely bent portions l3 thereof as the force is applied to remove the closure member 19 from the member I1.

It has been found in practice that a construction of-the above character can be provided in which the closure member 19 can be mounted over the opening l8 and the member I! by simply pressing on the closure member 19 with the thumb of one hand, but in which the closure member I9 can only be removed by the use of a screwdriver or some other suitable pry-off tool which can be inserted under an edge of the closure member [9 and can be given suflicient leverage to apply considerable force thereto.

Although I have illustrated my novel closure retaining element as being applied on a closure member of circular shape for closing a circular opening, it is to be understood that it can be employed with equal success on closure members of any shape or configuration to cover openings of any shape or configuration without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

From the above description, it will be seen' that I have provided an extraordinarily simple, yet effective method and means for detachably securing closure members to other members. The novel securing means includes the highly desirable characteristic of requiring only a slight deformation force to assemble the closure member on the outer member but requiring a relatively great force to disengage the closure member from the other member.

While I have shown'a particular embodiment of my invention, it will, of course, be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. As an article of manufacture, a latch spring for holding a closure member in concealing relation to another member, one of which members includes a shoulder adapted to. be retainingly engaged by the latch spring, said latch spring comprising a strip of metal having a supporting portion formed for connection to one of the associated members and also having a remotely disposed free end portion projecting laterally therefrom for positpning inside the other member, said supporting portion being connected to the free end portion by two bent intermediate portions, one being remote from the other, and adj'acent the extremity of said free end portion so as to be disposed behind and laterally inwardly of the shoulder of the member engaged thereby, said remote bent portion being connected to said extremity of the spring by a shoulder contacting surface constructed and arranged to slide over the shoulder as well as behind the same and into and out of retaining engagement therewith upon fiexure of said bent portion, and said bent portions being so arranged as to enable but resist lifting of the remote bent portion to disengage the latch spring but beingreadily flexible in a direction to spring the latch spring into re taining position.

2. As an article of manufacture, a latch spring comprising a strip of metal including a base and mounting portion, a relatively long leg portion extending laterally from said base portion and at an angle thereto closely approximating a right angle, and a second relatively short leg portion connected by a bend to said first leg portion and including a slide surface for contacting an edge of an object to be spring engaged by pressure in the direction of the length of the spring to force said surface over and behind said edge, said short leg portion being turned back upon said long is applied sufficient to cause said slide surface of the short leg portion to slide over said edge, said mounting portion being remote from said short leg portion so fiexure takes place in said short leg portion, as well as in length of said long leg portion.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

